Learn about migratory birds and climate change at Fox River Ecosystem Partnership meeting Jan. 8

The Fox River Ecosystem Partnership will hold its bimonthly membership meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 8.

The program, hosted by the City of Elgin, begins at 1 p.m. in the Heritage Ballroom at The Centre, 100 Symphony Way.

Following a short business meeting and annual elections, Jim Herkert, executive director of Illinois Audubon Society, will present a program on "The Decline of Migratory Birds and Climate Change - What Can We Expect and Do in the Fox Valley?"

The program is free and open to the public.

Herkert has served as executive director of the Illinois Audubon Society since 2016. The society is Illinois's oldest conservation organization.

Prior to joining Illinois Audubon, he worked for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, The Nature Conservancy, and the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board. Herkert received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois-Champaign (Department of Ecology, Ethology, and Evolution). He is a Fellow in the American Ornithological Society and has written over 70 publications, with most of these focused on the conservation and management of grassland birds.

The Fox River Ecosystem Partnership was established in 1996 representing the entire Fox River Watershed in Illinois, covering 1,720 square miles situated within the counties of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, Lee, McHenry and Will.

Membership includes individuals, governments, organizations and businesses that meet regularly "to promote, preserve, protect and enhance the natural, cultural, economic and recreational resources of Illinois' Fox River and its watershed."

For more information about this program and the Fox River Ecosystem Partnership, visit foxriverecosystem.org.